Steven Borden says watching his father Sting bring his legendary career to an end helped convince him to begin his own journey in professional wrestling.
Borden has recently become involved in AEW programming and will team with TNT Champion Darby Allin against Kyle Fletcher and Kevin Knight at AEW All Out. The winners will earn a future shot at the AEW World Tag Team Championships.
Ahead of the match, Borden and Allin appeared on Good Karma Wrestling (see video below), where Borden discussed the amount of work that has gone into preparing for his AEW opportunity.
“It’s been a lot of training, a lot of time in Atlanta with this guy (Darby Allin). Just trying to get as ready as I can,” Borden said. “I think the last month or so has been a whirlwind. You don’t really have time to think about what’s happening.”
He continued, “It’s just the next show. Okay, Dynamite. Okay, Collision. Here we go. But it’s been a fun ride so far.”
Borden also revealed that the decision to seriously pursue wrestling came during Sting’s retirement match at AEW Revolution 2024.
Sting teamed with Allin at the event to defeat The Young Bucks and retain the AEW World Tag Team Championships before officially ending his in-ring career.
“Pretty much during Revolution at my dad’s retirement match,” Borden said. “Watching him kind of ride off into the sunset and realizing that my life is gonna pass quickly too and I’m gonna be his age one day.”
Borden said the moment forced him to consider whether he wanted to take his own shot at wrestling or spend years wondering what might have happened.
“I could either look back and say I took the step that I wanted to take or I could look back and say what if, and I just didn’t want to live with that what-if question,” he said. “So it was right after Revolution pretty much.”
Borden also addressed the reaction he has received from AEW fans both online and inside arenas.
Despite understanding that second-generation wrestlers can sometimes face additional scrutiny, Borden said the response has been more positive than he expected.
“Man, I don’t even know if I’ve had a chance to take it in,” Borden said. “I think for me, even this year, I’ve been doing dark matches every week, every show, and you just never know.”
He continued, “I think it’s tough with second-generation guys. It’s really easy for the fans, kind of understandably so, to turn on you a little bit, and I think every week I’d walk out in these dark matches and the crowds have been, I would say, generous to me, and every week I’m a little bit surprised.”
Borden added that he has also been encouraged by the reaction on social media.
“I think that’s surprising as well — the social media reaction — so I’m definitely grateful so far.”
